By Ekuson Nw’Ogbunka
Abuja
Ifeanyi Okonkwo, Chairman of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chapter of the National Association of Nigeria Traders (NANT), has disclosed plans to hold a summit aimed at moving traders under his leadership into the digital space. The event is scheduled for April 30, 2026, in Abuja.
Speaking to journalists, Okonkwor said the summit will be held under the theme: “Empowering Traders and Local Producers for Global Competitiveness.” He explained that the goal is to show traders that business is no longer limited to local shops and markets.
Responding to questions about NANT’s recent low profile in the FCT, Okonkwor who is the CEO of Office World Integrated Services Ltd, Abuja said the association only speaks when it has activities to announce. “We are not a noise maker association. If there is nothing to say, or if we don’t have activity, that’s why you will not hear from us,” he said, adding that national issues are left to the national leadership to address.
According to the Chairman, the June 30 gathering will not involve all traders at once. “The gathering is not for all the traders, it is the heads of the units of the markets. From there we will take it up and go market by market,” he stated, describing it as part of a wider sensitisation drive.
Okonkwo said the core message of the summit is that traders can do business beyond their locality. “We want to let all the traders know that you can, from your comfort zone, do business outside the world. You can, from here in FCT, do business with somebody in Ghana or outside this country,” he said.
He noted that the era of relying only on physical shops is fading. “Time has gone where you open shop and depend on your particular shop. The world is going global and everything is digitalised. You can do business anywhere you are, either by selling or by buying,” he explained.
Urging traders to adapt, Okonkwor warned that online businesses are taking over market share. Citing an example, he said a customer recently showed him a generator price online that was cheaper than in-store. “The world is going digital, but it is still good to see the thing physically. So we want our people to embrace it. It will be of benefit to us,” he advised.
The Chairman said the summit will feature key government and financial institutions. “The Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, SON will be coming, FCCPC will come, Bank of Industry will also be there,” he said, adding that the presence of BOI will help traders access soft loans.
On the aims and objectives, Okonkwor said one major target is to link traders with funding. “Bank of Industry will be coming, so it will benefit us a lot in accessing soft loans for our traders,” he noted, saying the interaction will help members position for support.
Urging the traders to embrace the opportunity by supporting the event, he said the chapter remains active on ground and is committed to preparing FCT traders for a more competitive, digital trading environment.
